Transportation system.



W. C; GARR- TR'ANSPORTATION SYSTEM.

APPLIOATIOH FILED JUNE 1'1. 1909.

Patented. Nov; 29, 1910;

Fig. 2.

Witnesses. 11 Emu. Inventor. 7

%TATE% PATENT @FFTQFL.

WILLIAM C. CAR-R, F BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. CARR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Transportation Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements 1n transportation systems and more particularly to the channeled rail structure forming the track of the system.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to produce a rail, which will be sufficiently strong and rigid to support a car without perceptibly sagging and at the same time is comparatively light in weight, and further to so shape the rail that it will provide a bottom groove or channel for the electric current transmitting element.

The invention also relates to certain details of construction which will be hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of the stand ard and the rail supports or brackets, a transverse section through the rails and a car in place on the rails. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical central section through the brush supporting bracket with the brush in side elevation. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a fragment of the channel rail.

In referring to the drawings for the details of construction like numerals designate like parts.

In Fig. 1 the manner of supporting the rails from a series of supports arranged at intervals along the ground is illustrated. An upper fragment of the central vertical standard 1 is shown on the top of which a transverse bar or member 2 is centrally secured by fitting its collar 3 on the upper end of the standard. The bar while mainly extending in a horizontal direction curves slightly upward and near its opposite ends bends abruptly upward to provide short vertical end portions 4.

Two vertical branch members are provided the lower ends of which are enlarged and dished as shown at in Fig. 1 and are fastened upon the vertical end portions 4 of the transverse bar by bolts 6. Insulating material (not shown in the drawings) is preferably interposed in any well known Specification of Letters Patent. Pgflggntgd N 29 191() Application filed June 17, 1909.

Serial No. 502,695.

way between the dished ends 5 and the portion 4 to insulate the bar from the ground.

The intermediate or body portions of the branch members 7 gradually taper or reduce in size from the dished lower portion 5 upward and their upper portions 8 bend or curve inwardly toward each other as shown in Fig. 1.

The rail employed in connection with this system is of a peculiar channel form having a vertical outer member 9 which gradually tapers and lessens in thickness from the top downward an inner vertical member 10 which is narrower in width than the outer vertical member 9 and also gradually tapers or lessens in width from the top downward and a transverse horizontal connecting member 11 which joins the upper end of the outer vertical member 9 to the upper end of the inner vertical member 10.

Fillets 12 are formed in the corners of the rail and serve to provide a rounded inner surface and to stiffen and strengthen the rail at the juncture of the vertical members with the horizontal members.

A car 13 is shown in Fig. 1 which is provided with axles 14 having flange wheels 15 which track on the upper surface of the horizontal members 11 of the rails.

The car is provided with a motor as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and the necessary electric current is carried to the motor by means of electric conducting mechanism.

which consists of the wires 16 and vertical brushes which are supported in brackets attached to the car and engage in the under channels or grooves in the rails. The brushes each consist of a shank 17 having an enlarged head 18 which is provided with a socket and a series of wires 19 the lower portions of which are secured in the socket of the head 18. The brackets supporting the brushes are each provided with a vertical tubular portion 20 in which the shanks 17 of the brushes are slidably supported, a lateral portion 21 extending horizontally from the portion 20 and an inner bifurcated portion, the upper and lower forks 22 and 23 of which are respectively fastened in side grooves in the members 24 and 25 of the car frame by screws 26.

- Strips of insulating material 27 and 28 are interposed between the surfaces of the forks 22 and 23 and the frame members 24 and 25 as shown in Fig. 3.

A spiral. spring 29 is placed in the socket 30 of each tubular portion 20 below the shank 17, so that the brush is pressed upward with a yielding pressure in the under channel of the rail.

The rails are electrically charged from any suitable medium.

I claim 1. In a transportation system, a series of supports having branch rail supporting members and rails attached to said branch members; said rails being of a channel form and consisting of two vertical members one of which is greater in width than the other and is fastened tothe rail supporting memher and a transverse horizontal member con necting the upper ends of said members, the top of which constitutes a track surface which is of a fiat form throughout.

2. In a transportation system, a series of supports having branch rails supporting members and rails attached to said branch members; said rails having two vertical members of unequal width arranged in separated relation and a top horizontal member connecting said vertical members.

3. In a transportation system, a series of supports having branch rail supporting members and rails having two vertical members of unequal width arranged in separated relation and a top horizontal member connecting the verticalmembers and bolts for securing the wider member of each rail to a rail supporting member.

4. In an elevated transportation system, a series of supports each composed of a vertical standard, a transverse horizontal bar centrally mounted on the standard and curving slightly upward from the center toward its end and having its ends bent abruptly up to form short vertical portions, branch members each having an enlarged lower portion secured to one of the short vertical portions of the horizontal bar and a vertical body having a short inwardly curved top portion and rails secured tothe inner ends of the top portions.

5. In an elevated transportation system, a series of supports composed of vertical central standards, a transverse horizontal bar centrally mounted on the standard and curving slightly upward from the center toward its end and having its ends bent abruptly up to'form'short vertical portions, branch members each having an enlarged dished lower portion secured to the short vertical portions of the horizontal bar and a vertical body tapering and reducing in size fromthe dished portion upward and having a short inwardly curved top portion and channeled rails secured to the inner ends of the top portions.

6. In an elevated transportation system, a series of supports composed of vertical central standards, a transverse horizontal bar centrally mounted on the standard and curving slightly upward from the center toward itsends and having its ends bent abruptly to form short vertical portions, branch members each having enlarged dished lower portions secured to one of the short vertical portions of the horizontal bar, and a vertical body which tapers and reduces in size from the dished portions upward and is provided with short inwardly curved top portions and rails having vertical side members of unequal width with the wide members thereof secured to the inner ends of the curved top portions of the vertical body.

7 In a transportation system, a series of supports and channel rails attached to said supports and composed of two vertical side members in separated arrangement, one of said members being greater in width than the other and a transverse member connecting the vertical members.

8. In atransportation system, a series of supports and channel rails attached to said supports and composed of two vertical side members in separated arrangement, one of said members being greater in width than the other, a transverse member connecting the vertical members and fillets formed in the corners of the juncture of the vertical members with the horizontal member.

9. In a transportation system, a series of supports, channel rails composed of two vertical side members in separated arrangement, said members gradually tapering and lessening in thickness from the top clownward, one of said members being greater in width than the other and being directly connected to the supports, and a transverse member extending between and connecting the vertical members.

' IVILLIAM G. CARR.

lVitnesses Loom M. TI-IEES, EDGAR L. KLnrNDINs'r. 

